2019 ABSTRACTS
Performing Arts
Elemental
COURTNEY ELLISON
DEPARTMENT:
ENGLISH
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Although many believe that life is experienced in a linear way, conceptually it is a series of moments from which we make meaning by finding connections. I will explore the significance of fragmentation as a writing tool, finding an alternate way to process and think of life experiences. Discovering the value of fragmented writing will reveal that it can be just as effective as a linear narrative. This, by using fragmentation to write about life, memory, trauma, healing, thinking and learning, there is perhaps a chance to discover alternated ways to experience the world, art and memory.
What I Could Have Given
ESTHER HAYES
DEPARTMENT:
ENGLISH
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
I wish to present a 1,500-word flash fiction piece titled What I Could Have Given. This piece will be included in the collection of short stories I am producing for my thesis. These stories investigate issues of fertility and rural America. Fertility in these pieces refer to both biological fertility: puberty, genealogy, mothering, as well as ecological fertility: land-use, drought, changing farming techniques, urbanization.
A Student Performance of James Davids Zephyrus for Chamber
Ensemble
SHERIDAN LOYD
DEPARTMENT:
SCHOOL MUSIC, THEATRE, & DANCE
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Colorado State University associate professor Dr. James David is a contemporary American composer whose works have gained acclaim on the international stage. Despite being an important composer of wind band repertoire, with compositions performed at over fifty national and international conferences, no formal research on his output yet exists. This research project will consist of a masters thesis document and performances of Davids works with the CSU Wind Symphony. The thesis will include a series of interviews with David outlining his musical training, approach to composition, and compositional voice. In addition, the document will offer a conductors analysis of his new Symphony no. 1: Codex Gigas for wind band, serving as a reference document for performers, conductors, and composers in the future. In February 2020, I will be conducting the American premiere of Davids Zephyrus for chamber winds and percussion, a recent addition to the chamber wind repertoire. In April, I will collaborate with the CSU Wind Symphony to present the consortium premiere of Symphony no. 1: Codex Gigas, Davids first symphony for any medium. Rehearsing and performing these works will provide insight into how David constructs and orchestrates his music, as well as his approach to composing for unique instrumentation. Research can be expanded in the future as David writes new works and his compositional style continues to develop and evolve. For the graduate showcase, I propose to present a live performance of Zephyrus, performed by student members of the CSU Wind Symphony under my direction.
Visual Arts
1
If Objects Could Speak, What Would They Say?SAMUEL DONG SAUL
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
As a artist and graphic designer, I have always been interested in the relationship on how the products/objects we consume communicate to us. Why are we attracted to specific forms and colors. Are they talking to us in a language we don't understand? These objects I am presenting are an opportunity to interpret what they might be saying when they are being observed in a more intimate and scientific manner. Using the data sheet as a way to write down the observations from the interactions between the art object and whoever is interacting with them, will aid me with finding commonalities on how these specific objects might be communicating with us.
2
Resilient Impairments
LAUREN FAHERTY
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
My studio practice investigates the deterioration of the human body and memory systems through the process of disease, aging, and other biological effects. Soft sculpture is prevalent in my work as it becomes a means to affront the viewer with their relationship to their own temporal and malleable body. The repetitious binding and mending techniques used in the fiber forms contemplate the constant state of proliferation juxtaposed with disrepair while the work desperately attempts to hold on to stability. Stability is fleeting in the visual form of off-balance, impermanent wood sculptures that the fiber works desperately cling too. The abject qualities of these sculptures evoke the uncomfortable state of dilapidation when our bodies begin to break down and live outside of our control. The wood structures have begun to be replaced with the physical presence of the actual human body in my practice. In the construction of wearable forms, the integration of the human body with soft sculpture is actualized. How these visual manifestations of faulty biological systems can limit the body and force change of movement through each design. With this investigation, I seek to find a balance between these inevitable internal human impairments with the resilience biological systems are capable of through the language of performance art.
3
What is Non-Representation Art?
SPENCER GILLESPIE
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
I am a graduate student in the visual arts with a focus on painting. A lot of non-representation art is classified by the general public as abstract, but I would like to educate people on how my practice is very process based and explores material, editing, and creation. My poster will include images of my work and other artists from different time periods who also focused on process and the act of making. I plan to bring small sheets of paper with tape and collage materials for a very quick and brief exercise that others can use to create and take home with them. Many people misdiagnose non-representation art as abstract and I would love to educate them on the difference, how that applies to my own practice, and emphasize the importance of this type of artwork.
4
Custom Paralympic Shooting Jacket: A Single-Case Product
Development Project
KAYNA HOBBS
DEPARTMENT:
DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING
COLLEGE:
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
This research project is being done to investigate the sportswear product development needs of a disabled Paralympic Shooting athlete who uses a wheelchair in daily life through a single-case study method. This project is being done to address the major discrepancies in clothing availability between the able-bodied and disabled population, especially in the category of sportswear. Sportswear or sports apparel for disabled athletes is a very small industry, leaving many disabled athletes without proper clothing options for athletic involvement and performance. This research project will incorporate interviews, 3D body scanning, and virtual garment prototyping to create the best product for the Paralympic Shooting athlete, based specifically on her needs and desires for her competition shooting jacket. There are several positive outcomes and implications of this research, including a model example of effective product development processes, in which the athlete is heavily involved, for industry leaders working in sports apparel for disabled athletes. Future directions for this work include involving more disabled athlete participants of whom participate in a diverse collection of athletics (basketball, rugby, etc.) as well as diverse levels of competition (professional, semi-professional, and casual athletic participation).
5
Material Narratives: Manifesting and Managing Memory
JACOB JASO
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Throughout my material studies, I work with personal memories to create stories and give them a new life. Working with fiber and mixed media, I create quilts to house and tell these stories. Using quilting as a story-telling tradition passed down in my family, I can not only work out what a memory says, but to allow what can't rise to the surface. Freud says, " What cannot speak still speaks, and does so irresistibly." Through exploring memory, I can free repressed memories and relate the deeper emotional content that may be
clouding my waking mind.
6
Goat Value Chains Development in India
PRATYOOSH KASHYAP
DEPARTMENT:
AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECON
COLLEGE:
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Goat rearing is a major livelihood activity for the resource poor farmers in India who happen to be among the poorest agricultural communities and also largely women. However, the sector faces numerous challenges in the form small scale traditional production methods, lacking input support and inefficient marketing practices. A consistently growing market and massive scope of improvement in production makes developing the value chain an effective tool of combating low farm income and falling rural employment in India. It is also a strong means of women empowerment as the sector largely employs women, though in an informal manner. With the necessary input and extension support, market linkages and developing on community based models, the goat value chain can be strengthened manifold. These photographs are from various states in India and include farmers involved in goat rearing. I had worked with Creative Agri Solutions, an agricultural research company in Delhi, India. We worked on multiple studies involving value chains development of the goat sector in different states in India as well as at the national level. These photographs are from my visits to these states during the duration of these research projects. They represent an intimate connection between the farmers and the goats and also the different stages in the value chains.
7
Girl Powder- The Collection
KATE SCHMIDT
DEPARTMENT:
DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING
COLLEGE:
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
My Plan B project is a portfolio of twenty womens snowboarding garments in a capsule collection based on the premise that there exists a gap in the outdoor apparel industry in regards to womens snowboarding apparel. The portfolio includes prints, fashion illustrations, and computer aided designs with technical features and construction guidelines for each garment. Most of the options are simply menswear garments that have been slightly modified to fit the female body/ preferences. My objective is to design a collection with femininity at the center while still embracing athleticism and functionality. I will be presenting the working portfolio to a panel of industry professionals, including those who work at Spyder and Smartwool and using their feedback and input, I will design and prototype two complete looks. At the showcase, I will be presenting my fully-developed portfolio and the research that informs it and identifies the need in the outdoor apparel market for snowboarding apparel designed, constructed, and produced with the female form, preferences, and consumption attitudes in mind.
8
Agents of Change - Textile Designs for Environmental
Awareness
JESSICA SHAVER
DEPARTMENT:
DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING
COLLEGE:
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
This collection of textile designs draw inspiration from H. Boschs 1939 triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights, which depicts scenes of man and creatures in three stages of existence: the idealized (or heavenly); the reality, which is chaotic and crowded; and the horrors of a hell-like environment. Viewing these three panels together we are forced to confront the duality of how our human existence is both beneficial and harmful to the surrounding environment was with this notion in mind that the concept for this series of prints was derived and designed. Each textile design spotlights a species whose existence is affected by the ongoing interaction of humans and our environment. The goal of the series is to engage and provoke critical thinking without scolding the consumer. My graduate studies are interested in developing ways to effectively communicate environmental issues to consumers, and coming from a professional background in textile design these prints were created for commercial use in apparel or home décor and are meant to spark conversations around the ongoing climate crisis and the human impact on the environment. The California Condor, American Pika, and Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) were selected for the debut series for the unique and varied perspective they can provide to such conversations. Future series could expand on this concept by diving deeper into flora or fauna species and sub-groups currently being affected by human-caused climate change, or could be used to memorialize species already lost to extinction due to human interaction and harm.
9
Sitting With Divinity - Works by Clark Valentine
CLARK VALENTINE
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Throughout my life, I have been greatly influenced by religion. Growing up in Protestant Christianity and still practicing it today, I have been inspired to seek a relationship with the divine. I have also studied Eastern Philosophy, Yogic Traditions, and Buddhism and have found a deep interest with the concept of ritual in religious practice. While my faith does not have rituals in the
same way that many other religions do, I have found a beauty in seeking moments of connection
with the divine through ritualistic practices. In my spiritual life, I seek the experience of ritual while
maintaining intimacy with the divine. Subsequently, this body of work has not only been inspired by these practices, but has become a spiritual practice itself. My work is inspired by artists such as Agnes Martin, Ad Reinhardt, Sol Lewitt, Richard Long and Frank Stella. My work has also found inspiration from traditional art forms such as Buddhist
Mandalas, Catholic and Protestant iconography and Eastern Asian paintings. The materiality of drawing excites me. I am interested in the extreme vibrational contrast that can come from processes that are so simple and immediate. My work is driven by the processive element of its creation. Each line functions as a prayer or mantra as it is drawn. The
collection of these countless elements creates a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. I
continue to explore these themes within Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking and Painting.
10
After The Gold Rush
ZANE WHITE
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
The work I will present represents the culmination of past and current research examining the changing landscape and ecology of the Southwest resulting from increasing land development, oil extraction, and large scale mining operations. The works are intended to challenge common cultural relationships with the land through the construction of imaginary narratives that reveal potential consequences of current actions within the broader society. The dreamlike quality of the images and objects elicit a sense of suspended disbelief that challenges our perceptions of reality and brings attention to the fleeting nature of existence. The current paintings I am making are derived from multiple site visits to areas of northwestern New Mexico that were historically used for uranium mining, and are currently being developed for the oil and gas industry. The paintings appropriate motifs common in western landscape painting to generate a dialogue between how our society commonly consumes landscapes, and the reality of the condition they are in. These surreal scenes shift between optimistic and solemn depending on the color palettes employed. All of these works feature a disaster, the origin of which is unknown to the viewer. This creates an unsettling feeling that is lacking context, adding a mysterious quality to the work. The viewer is left with questions, rather than given an answer. The exclusion of human beings from the scenes leaves the viewer to experience the aftermath of an unknown event in solitary contemplation.
11
Shedding Youth: Analyzing Social Traditions Relating to
Adolescent Development
AMY YOUNG
DEPARTMENT:
ART AND ART HISTORY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Across cultures, adolescent development has a powerful connection with social events, life lessons, and economic pressures. This pivotal moment in an individual's growth is often publicly celebrated and privately toiled over. My current work explores 'coming-of-age' traditions through the medium of fibers. Change and transition are represented in my work through the use of color gradations and contrasting materials. My color palette and visual aesthetic incorporates fluorescent tones as a reference to 1980's American films (as the
decade popularized the coming-of-age genre) and to youthfulness which is associated with bright hues. My current path of research is focused towards the unspoken lesson of carefully choosing relationships to reinforce personal growth.
Research, Scholarship, and Entrepreneurship
12
An Integrated Uncertainty-Based Bridge Inspection Decision
Framework
ABDELRAHMAN ABDALLAH
DEPARTMENT:
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGR
COLLEGE:
WALTER SCOTT, JR. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
The limitations of the standard two-year interval for the visual inspection of bridges required by the U.S. National Bridge Inspection Standards have been well documented, and alternative approaches to bridge inspection planning have been presented in recent literature. This framework explores a different strategy for determining the interval between inspections and the type of inspection technique to use for bridges. The foundational premise of the proposed approach is that bridge inspections are conducted to increase knowledge about the bridges current condition, and therefore, are only required when uncertainty about the knowledge of the bridge condition is too high. An example case of a reinforced concrete bridge deck was used to demonstrate how this approach would work. The method utilized deterioration models for predicting corrosion and crack initiation time, considering the uncertainty in the models parameters. Bridge inspections were used to update the current condition information and model parameters through Bayesian updating. As this research presents a new idea for inspection planning, not all the data or models necessary to fully develop and validate the approach currently exist. Nonetheless, the method was applied to a simulated example which demonstrates how the timing and means of bridge inspection can be tailored to provide the required data about individual bridges needed for effective bridge management decision making
13
Exploring Phytoremediation Potential of Hemp (Cannabis
sativa)
SUSAN ABERNATHY
DEPARTMENT:
BIOLOGY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is a plant in the Cannabaceae family that has many uses. The shoot can be used for making materials, medicine and has nutritional value. Phytoremediation is a process of using plants for cleaning up high levels of elements in the environment that are spilled, dumped, leached or accumulated. Plants can remediate pollutants through uptake into their tissue or containment in their root zone. C. sativa may be able to phytoremediate different toxins while the biomass can be harvested for other uses. I tested C. sativa for its capacity for arsenic phytoremediation. C. sativa was grown in different conditions of arsenic acid (Na2HAsO4) and photosynthetic measurements were collected to investigate the health of the plants. Biomass was also quantified as a measure of As tolerance, and elemental analysis performed to determine the levels of As in different organs. The plants were extremely tolerant to As. Accumulation of As was found mostly in the roots, while the shoots
remained photosynthetically healthy and the levels of the valuable hemp product CBD was unaffected. Thus, C. sativa may be grown on marginal, As polluted soil, while still producing valuable hemp products. Further studies using other toxic elements, and follow-up field studies are planned to better understand C. sativas breadth of potential for use in phytoremediation.
14
Identification of Soybean Aphid Amino Acid Transporters at
Aphid-Bunchera Interface
SHAILESH RAJ ACHARYA
DEPARTMENT:
BIOAGRICULTURAL SCI & PEST MGT
COLLEGE:
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) is one of the most important hemipteran pests of soybean and the current consensus management include cultural, chemical and genetic controls which aphids have combated overtime suggesting that unique management strategies are necessary to control them. Our study targets the endo-symbiotic relationship between soybean aphid and the bacteria (Buchnera aphidicola) it harbors in a specialized aphid bacteriocyte cells. Soybean aphid compensates for essential amino acids, that are usually low in the phloem, from their endosymbionts as these bacteria converts non-essential amino acid supplied by aphids to essential amino acids. Studies on pea aphid have shown that a glutamine transporter ApGLTN1 transports glutamine from aphid hemolymph into bacteriocyte cell and this transport is feedback inhibited by competitive arginine. Our preliminary study using arginine supplemented artificial diet in soybean aphid have shown that arginine inhibits glutamine transport. As soybean aphid shares multiple sequence orthologues with pea aphid, it is plausible that a similar transport mechanism exists in the soybean aphid. We have identified two putative amino acid transporters, AG6005571-RA and AG6005572-RA, that are differentially expressed in the bacteriocyte cells, based on the RNA sequencing analysis of 2121 differentially upregulated genes. The functions of these transporters in-vivo however are yet to be characterized.
15
Grow With the Flow: Blood Flow Regulates Cardiac Valve
Development
NEHA AHUJA
DEPARTMENT:
UNIVERSITY WIDE - CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
COLLEGE:
INTRA-UNIVERSITY
The incidence of congenital heart disease (CHD) is estimated to be 1% of all human births. CHD of the heart valves occurs in over 50% of CHD cases. Often, the only treatment option available is valve replacement surgery, which carries an extremely high mortality rateestimated to be 28% for neonates. Mechanisms that control valve formation are of significant clinical interest. Recent work has shown that valve cells read and respond to cues exerted by blood flow. One such cue is afterload, defined as the resistance the ventricle must overcome in order to pump blood through the body. In adults, increases in afterload often trigger pathology. However, the influence of afterload during development is relatively uninvestigated. We present a zebrafish model in which afterload has been increased using
vasopressin, a vasoconstrictive drug. We first show that application of vasopressin reliably produces an increase in afterload without directly acting on cardiac tissue in zebrafish embryos. We show that increased afterload alters the development of the cardiac chambers and causes remodeling of the cardiomyocytes. Consistent with pathology seen in patients with clinically high afterload, we see defects in both form and function of the valve leaflets. Our results suggest that this valve defect is due to changes in atrioventricular myocyte signaling. Our results identify afterload as a regulator of atrioventricular myocyte development and identifies key signaling components in the afterload pathway. Our work can be leveraged to further elucidate the mechanisms that regulate valve development and thereby increase our understanding of CHD.
16
Existential Concerns and Risky Behavior in College Students
MARISSA ALLIEGRO
DEPARTMENT:
PSYCHOLOGY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Most, if not all of college students experience anxiety. Their anxiety concerns may range anywhere from test anxiety, to choosing a major, to anxiety about their entire career path as a whole. Rarely do we assess for existential anxiety concerns in this population. Existential anxiety is concerned with existence as a whole (i.e. death anxiety, meaninglessness and purpose, social isolation). Students may engage in risky externalizing behaviors (unprotected sex, binge drinking, substance use) in order to alleviate some of their existential concerns. By administering validated measures, this study will look at the relationship between existential concerns and the prevalence of certain externalizing and internalizing behaviors in college students. This dissertation project has been approved for IRB and is collecting data.
17
Screening for Fungal Infections Using LC/MS
CHRIS ALLISON
DEPARTMENT:
CHEMISTRY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Fungal infections are a significant problem among individuals using medical devices, those with pulmonary conditions, and patients that are otherwise immunocompromised. Current screening methods to detect fungal infections display limited accuracy, and while more accurate results can be obtained through cultures, these take up to several weeks to provide results. Given that infected patients usually have suppressed immune systems, shortcomings in diagnostic methods make accurate, straightforward alternatives desirable. Chitin and chitosan are polysaccharides that confer rigidity to fungis cell walls. Given their ubiquity in pathogenic fungal species and absence from endogenous sources, these compounds hold the potential to serve as biomarkers for fungal infections. High performance liquid chromatography can be used in tandem with mass spectrometry to detect the degradation products of these polymers, which include glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine and oligomers comprised of both. This poster discusses degradation methods for chitin and chitosan and the identification of subsequent products in the context of creating unique chemical fingerprints that can be related back to the polymers presence. Detecting these products by LC/MS potentially facilitates its use to nonspecifically screen for and to presymptomatically detect
fungal infections.
18
Role of FLNC in Heart Contractility and Retrograde Flow
AREEJ ALI ALSHAHRANI
DEPARTMENT:
BIOLOGY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Dilated Cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiomyopathy disease that causes heart muscle defects. In the United States, it is estimated that 750,000 people have dilated cardiomyopathy. DCM is characterized by a dilated left ventricular chamber and systolic dysfunction that results in congestive heart failure. Although the cause of DCM is not fully understood, evidence supports the hypothesis that costameric proteins contribute to muscle dysfunction linked to cardiomyopathy. In addition, we hypothesize that costamere structure indirectly modulates normal retrograde flow which in turn impacts atrioventricular valve development. Here, we use 5 novel nonsense alleles in zebrafish FLNCa and FLNCb (two paralogous genes mainly expressed in heart and skeletal muscle) to disrupt the components of the costamere. We evaluate how retrograde flow impacts heart valve function in these mutant backgrounds. First, we utilized high-speed videos of live hearts of homozygous mutant FLNCa and FLNCb embryos. From these videos we conclude that costamere disruption results in a significant decrease in stroke volume and cardiac output with normal blood flow patterns in . Interestingly, immunohistochemistry with ALCM antibody showed that flncb exon 35(-/-) exhibited defects in valve development which appeared as decreased the number of expressed ALCM endocardial cells and the area of these cells. Whereas in flncb exon 14 (-/-) there was defects in the number of endocardial cells. These results suggest that disruption of costamere components affect biomechanical properties of the heart.
19
SMYD3 Inhibitor as a Novel Therapeutic for Cancer
ILHAM ALSHIRAIHI
DEPARTMENT:
UNIVERSITY WIDE - CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
COLLEGE:
INTRA-UNIVERSITY
We have characterized a lysine methyltransferase, SMYD3, that is required for proliferation of most breast, colorectal, and hepatocellular carcinomas. When aberrantly expressed, the SMYD3 lysine methyltransferase upregulates over 80 genes including oncogenes involved in cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation. We have shown that elimination of SMYD3 restores normal expression patterns of these genes and halts aberrant cell proliferation. Thus, we have developed and begun testing inhibitors that target the catalytic substrate site of SMYD3 and confirmed the ability of these inhibitors to reduce or eliminate its methyltransferase activity. Using cell lines, we have confirmed the ability of one of these inhibitors to restore normal rates of cell proliferation in cells over-expressing SMYD3. We further plan to characterize the downstream impacts of SMYD3 catalytic inhibition to better understand its role in tumorigenesis and to characterize potential adverse effects associated with the elimination of SMYD3 activity. Ultimately, we hope to optimize SMYD3 inhibitors as potential therapeutics in the clinical management of cancer.
20
Youth CAN:
Cultivating Community Change Through Youth-Driven Health
Initiatives
ANA ALTARES
DEPARTMENT:
FOOD SCIENCE & HUMAN NUTRITION
COLLEGE:
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Purpose:
The Youth CAN (Change.Activity.Nutrition.) project engages and empowers adolescents to become agents of change for health promotion within their community. Youth represent a population that are often unheard. However, empowered youth bring a fresh and novel approach to existing policies that may foster sociopolitical change in their community.
Description:
Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) is an innovative approach to youth-driven community assessment and project development. Youth take on an active researcher role to assess their community, identify facilitators and barriers to healthy eating and physical activity, and design and implement a project to promote health.
As part of Youth CAN, high school students from the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea neighborhood in Denver explored different applications of YPAR to share their lived experiences. Students selected from three mediums; Photovoice (photography), Spoken Word (poetry), and Street Art (graffiti-style artwork). Student projects will be compiled and used to facilitate discussions between youth and community stakeholders using the World Café method to generate ideas for potential community-based projects.
Outcomes:
Youth CAN will engage Denver youth to identify an issue; connect with community stakeholders; and propose, develop and implement a community-based project to promote healthy eating and active living. Empowered youth will also benefit from increased self-efficacy, knowledge and awareness of sociopolitical and healthy lifestyle factors.
Future Directions: Youth empowerment is fundamental in building connections within the community and yielding physical projects to promote health. Research efforts should shift towards utilizing multiple applications of YPAR in order to attract a broader youth audience and engage community agencies.
21
Studying Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Expression Levels
Affect
DUAA ALTHUMAIRY
DEPARTMENT:
UNIVERSITY WIDE - CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Luteinizing hormone receptors (LHR) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) found in female and male reproductive organs where they play a critical role in ovulation and sperm maturation, respectively. The role of oligomerization in LHR function is of considerable interest and not well understood. In this project, we have used polarized homo-transfer fluorescence resonance energy transfer (homo-transfer ¬FRET) to evaluate the aggregation state of LHRs that stably expressing in CHO cell line with different range of receptors number per cell. At lower receptor numbers per cell, LHR appeared in membranes as receptor dimers or small oligomers. At higher receptor numbers per cell, LHR appeared in significantly larger clusters. We also measured basal cAMP levels in these cell lines as well as intracellular cAMP levels in response to hCG using the cAMP sensor, ICUE3, which was transiently expressed in these CHO cell lines. Cells expressing small LHR clusters also had low basal cAMP activity and a robust response to hCG. When LHR were expressed at higher numbers of LHR per cells and LHR were present in larger oligomers in the absence of hormone, basal levels of cAMP per cell were high and cells were comparatively unresponsive to hCG. These results suggest that there is a strong relationship between the number of LH receptors expressed per cell, the size of LHR clusters and LHR receptor responsiveness to hCG. These results provide to a better understanding of the relationship between LHR clustering and signaling as well as LHR-related diseases that involve mis-oligomerization events.
22
Incorporating Halogen Bonds in Eukaryotic Systems
DEREK ANDERSON
DEPARTMENT:
BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOL
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Noncovalent interactions are crucial to the structure and interactions of biomolecules such as proteins, and can be manipulated for drug design, determination of dynamics within the cell, and folding pathways. Halogen bonds (XBs) represent a recently rediscovered category of these noncovalent interactions, showing high directionality, specificity, and variable polarizability. Our lab has pioneered engineering XBs into proteins such as T4-Lysozyme and the Gal11p KIX domain thereby significantly increasing thermodynamic stability of biologically relevant proteins in solution. However, there is no known literature showing the incorporation of XBs in eukaryotic organisms and their altered genotypic and phenotypic profiles. With my promising in vitro results through calorimetry and circular dichromism, the halogenated KIX domain will be introduced into S. cerevisiae and its downstream transcriptional shifts in the genome determined. Such findings will open avenues to pursue specific binding interactions that are altered to help us better understand the importance of KIXs partially unfolded structure in vivo and its stabilized binding preferences. More broadly, shifting dynamics of this natively unfolded protein in yeast could reveal novel interactions including nuclear granule inclusion or transcription factor specificity.
23
Exercise Hyperemia and Oxygen Extraction During Elevated
Resting Flow States
JAKE ANNA
DEPARTMENT:
HEALTH AND EXERCISE SCIENCE
COLLEGE:
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Changes in blood flow during exercise are intimately coupled to skeletal muscle metabolic demand. Feedback from pathways involved in oxygen delivery contribute to the regulation of these responses, but recent evidence suggests the presence of a feedforward mechanism capable of augmenting blood flow upon the initiation of exercise. We hypothesized that the change in blood flow following the initiation of exercise is preserved independent of the level of baseline oxygen delivery, and reciprocal reductions in oxygen extraction would occur during elevations in resting blood flow. We quantified forearm blood flow (FBF; Doppler ultrasound) and oxygen extraction (O2 EXT; based on venous O2 content) at rest and during 5 minutes of handgrip exercise under control conditions and during infusion of a vasodilator to artificially increase oxygen delivery. We elevated resting blood flow to levels that matched (MAT), and exceeded (EXC) steady-state hyperemia during control (CON) exercise trials. Despite significant elevations in resting flow, changes in FBF during MAT ( FBF; 84 ± 3 ml · min-1) and EXC ( FBF; 112 ± 14 ml · min-1) remained unaffected compared to CON ( FBF; 97 ± 14 ml · min-1; all P = NS). O2 EXT decreased during steady-state exercise in the MAT (44 ± 10 %) and EXC (34 ± 9 %) conditions compared to CON (65 ± 4 %; P < 0.05). We conclude that changes in exercise hyperemia and oxygen extraction remain intact when oxygen delivery is artificially elevated prior to exercise.
24
Effects of Two Polyoxovanadate Complexes on Mycobacteria
Smegmatis Growth
ZEYAD ARHOUMA
DEPARTMENT:
UNIVERSITY WIDE - CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
COLLEGE:
INTRA-UNIVERSITY
Polyoxometalates (POV) have been found to be inhibitor of some isolated enzymes, however, little information is available on the effects of POV on the intact bacterial systems. In this study, we measured the inhibitory activity of two pseudospherical POV, K(NH4)4[H6VIV2VV12O38(PO4)]-11H2O (V14) and (Me4N)6[VIV8VV7O36(Cl)] (V15), on the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis, with IC50 values of 17±0.00740 and 1.9±0.000900uM, respectively. These values are 10-100 fold lower than those reported for metavanadate (190uM) and closer to decavanadate value, [HnV10O28[(6-n)(V10) of 3.7uM. Spectroscopic studies were performed to evaluate the species formed in solutions of V14 and V15 during the bacterial growth. 51V NMR and EPR spectroscopy showed that V14 undergo some hydrolysis and a more extensive oxidation of vanadium(IV), than V15. Speciation were characterized in the Middlebrook 7H9 media and supernatant, both which contains citrate and phosphate. 51V NMR spectra of V14 showing signals of simple oxometalates and vanadium-complexes formed with media components, include citratevanadate complex (-547 ppm) and phosphate-vanadate complex (-564 ppm). The V15 spectra showed lower intensity monophosphate-vanadate signals, indicating a higher stability of the V15 structure. The combined spectroscopic and growth data show that there is some effect of the structure on the growth inhibition, favoring the V15 structure as a 2-fold (compared to V10) or a 10-fold (compared to V14) more potent inhibitor of growth. These differences can be attributed to the subtle difference in the polyoxo surface charge or shape and may link to the ability of some vanadium compounds to impact
membrane proteins and cause cell signaling.
25
Coinage-Metal Thiolate Supramolecular Assemblies
JAMES ARMSTRONG
DEPARTMENT:
CHEMISTRY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Synthetic precursors for nanoclusters and nanostructures determine product. Coinage metal-thiolate oligomers are common precursors to nanoclusters. These metal-metal-thiolates also assemble into supramolecular hydrogels. The introduction of a coordinating antisolvent to the synthesis of metal-thiolate hydrogels dramatically changes the hydrogel. This results in as amorphous supramolecular assembly of short metal-thiolate oligomers. The resultant amorphous metal-thiolate assemblies show unique rheological properties comparative to structured systems. Current research is investigating the usage of the supramolecular assemblies as a precursor to nanomaterials. Initial studies have shown the ability of the assembly to be reduced post-synthetically into nanoclusters and nanoparticles. In situ reduction leads to a supramolecular assembly infused with nanoparticles. We anticipate this as a new method for templated nanoparticle synthesis, as well as nanoparticle assemblies. Future research will focus on the usage of this material for potentially interesting properties in antimicrobial work.
26
How Sustainable is a Universal Definition of Sustainability?
DANIELLE BACKMAN
DEPARTMENT:
ANTHROPOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Since the Industrial Revolution, humankind passed from the Holocene to the Anthropocene, an epoch in which human action is the driver of global environmental change. Since the 1980s, the buzzword sustainability has been used globally to acknowledge efforts to combat climate change. Along with sustainability, the notion of sustainable development arose as a counter to progress as integral to development and grew side-by-side with modernization theory. There is no universal definition of sustainability, but the 1987 Brundtland Report definition is widely used. This definition is vague and allows for ambiguity in the interpretation/implementation of sustainability. How sustainable is an ambiguous definition? Using a political ecology and social ecological systems framework, this research explores the history of the terms sustainability and sustainable development, compares varying definitions, interpretations, and potential impacts of varying definitions. Findings suggest sustainability is context-driven and no universal definition can be created because the definition of sustainability depends on the goals of the definer. Based on this idea, a comprehensive list of five basic key components of sustainability are outlined based on a literature review. This research aims to strengthen the idea of no one-size-fits all solution to creating a sustainable world, and hopes to inspire a shift in the way we perceive and interact with nature to protect and ensure our common future. Sustainability is not about preserving sections of the natural world and calling it wilderness. Sustainability is about re-establishing a symbiotic relationship with nature and changing the ideology that humans and the environment are separate.
27
Examining How Mixed Reality Mobile Apps Enhance Sense of
Place
CARLA BAMESBERGER
DEPARTMENT:
JOURNALISM AND MEDIA COMM
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
Growing concerns regarding declining community and civic engagement as a result of increased access to new technologies calls for research seeking to understand ways that purposeful design could have a reverse impact. Location-aware mixed reality mobile apps may be one such technology that, with purposeful design, have the potential to engage users in their communities. Examining these technologies in the context of sense of place theory will provide insights to how these technologies may impact user engagement in their community. Sense of place theory posits that individuals experiences in a place contribute to their sense of what that place is like and increase their sense of place. An increased sense of place increases a persons likelihood of becoming engaged in that place and of taking an active role in preserving or improving that place. This exploratory study considers the potential of location-aware mixed reality mobile apps to positively impact users sense of place, making them more likely to engage in and participate in their community. Twelve users (four for each of the three mixed reality apps under consideration) were interviewed about their experience of place while using the app. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed for sense of place topics.
28
Can Wildfires Influence Ice Formation in Clouds?
KEVIN BARRY
DEPARTMENT:
ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
COLLEGE:
WALTER SCOTT, JR. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Ice nucleating particle (INP) measurements are necessary in order to better understand their influence on clouds and precipitation processes, but there are limited measurements from wildfires. Previous measurements found modest enhancements of INP concentrations in ground-based studies of wildfire smoke, but no prior measurements have been reported of in-situ INP concentrations in elevated, free-tropospheric smoke plumes. In July-August 2018, the Western Wildfire Experiment for Cloud Chemistry, Aerosol Absorption, and Nitrogen (WE-CAN) sampled aerosol particle and gas phase properties in several Western U.S. smoke plumes and out-of-plume background air from the NSF/NCAR C-130 based out of Boise, Idaho. The INP results are from the online CSU Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CFDC) and for aerosol filters that were exposed during the flight and later analyzed offline using the CSU Ice Spectrometer (IS). Both the CFDC and IS measurements show a general enhancement in plumes over background INP concentrations. However, there are some variances among fires and in the level of enhancement. To account for plume dilution, INP data are presented as normalized excess mixing ratios (with respect to CO) as functions of plume distance. Additional treatments were done on select filter liquid suspensions, including 95 °C heating to denature biological INPs and digestion with hydrogen peroxide to remove organic carbon present. These temperature spectra, compared to the untreated sample, show a predominant organic INP population in many sampled fires, while only some have a large
biological influence.
29
Bioelectrochemical Characterization of S. cerevisiae for
Cathodic Electrofermentation
DANIELLE BARTHOLET
DEPARTMENT:
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGR
COLLEGE:
WALTER SCOTT, JR. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
In electrofermentation (e-ferm), electrodes deliver electrons directly to microorganisms to alter metabolic processes, potentially increasing production of industrially valuable metabolites. While some microorganisms are known have conductive pili or periplasmic cytochromes capable of direct electron transfer into the cell, others may require redox mediators to shuttle electrons. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has not yet been shown to have electroactive properties, and previous e-ferm studies have neglected to account for important redox conditions. Using cyclic voltammetry (CV), we have probed the electrochemical behavior of S. cerevisiae with a variety of redox mediators. This electrochemical analysis will help us to optimize the e-ferm process for maximum ethanol production.
Our initial CV experiments have provided unprecedented evidence that S. cerevisiae may be capable of direct electron uptake, making it a viable and industrially relevant organism for e-ferm. Future work will focus on optimizing e-ferm for ethanol production as well as investigating the effects of electrochemical conditions on the metabolome and proteome of S. cerevisiae to develop an understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved.
30
Destination Recovery: Leveraging Tourism for Long-Term
Economic Recover Post-Natural Disaster
KELSEY BAUN
DEPARTMENT:
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
COLLEGE:
BUSINESS
In the wake of climate change, potential for natural disasters is only increasing. When destinations such as Puerto Rico and The Bahamas are hit, they not only lose infrastructure and lives, but their main source of income tourism. Tourists are inherently risk-averse, and as the narrative of such disasters hit the media, destinations experience immense trip cancellations. Tourism is proven to be a quick way to inject money into economies; following natural disasters it is badly needed in order to help restore destinations. Here, we see a gleaming opportunity creating a niche sector in the tourism industry, by which tourism is a
means of destination recovery. Our tourism company, GeoVia, specializes in curating culturally immersive and purposeful
vacation packages to destinations impacted by natural disasters leveraging tourism as a means to lift communities up. We differentiate ourselves by striking a balance between drawing tourists to desired destinations while acknowledging and supporting communities in need, playing a meaningful part in recovery. Our triple bottom line business provides responsible, ethical and memorable experiences for both givers (tourists) and receivers (local community).
weve already established relationships who have displayed commitment to ethical tourism practices. We have also established a strong network of nonprofits and NGOs that are responding to the named community needs and have requested tourist support.
31
Deliberating Environmental Justice: News Analysis of
Minnesotas Proposed Copper-Nickel Mines
WILL BEATON
DEPARTMENT:
JOURNALISM AND MEDIA COMM
COLLEGE:
LIBERAL ARTS
While the state of Minnesota debates the controversial risks and economic value of its first proposed copper-nickel mines, it has also committed to a transition from the use of fossil fuels to 100% clean energy sources by 2050. Though environmentally damaging, copper-nickel mining operations produce elements required of the clean energy transition to produce commodities such as solar panels and electric batteries. Studies show that news coverage of this controversy brings liberal conservationists at odds with both pro-mining conservatives and
their marginalized Native American neighbors. This proposed analysis of digital news coverage produced by journalists, governments, and
corporate communicators will study the influence their various treatments may have on the states provision of an environmentally just transition for all its diverse stakeholders through the copper-nickel quagmire to meet its clean energy commitment. Up to 150 articles and news videos will be selected with respect to published qualitative critical discourse analyses and coded in a hermeneutic process supported by an actor-network theory mindset. Themes from the data may emerge to trace associations between the actors through time to describe the conversation as it exists online. These findings will then inform the design of a digital database/resource for use in a deliberative forum in which participating communicators will meet to draft a statement of best ethical and professional practices that their industries may adopt to improve their coverage of Minnesotas proposed copper-nickel mines and help provide a democratic, environmentally and socially just transition to clean energy for all.
32
Environmental and Economic Analyses of Renewable
Products from Cyanobacteria
AUDREY BEATTIE
DEPARTMENT:
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COLLEGE:
WALTER SCOTT, JR. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
As the world faces the effects of climate change, research and development of alternative fuels and lower impact products becomes more important and time-sensitive. This project, funded by the Department of Energy and in collaboration with Arizona State University, considers a variety of processes that use cyanobacteria, a type of microalgae, to produce drop-in transportation fuels and/or algal oil for use in the oil-based chemical industry (associated with products including soaps, food, and cosmetics). Both products are potential substitutes for ones that currently have unfavorable environmental impact. The detrimental effects of fossil fuels on the earth are widely known, and biofuel offers a much lower impact
alternative to traditional diesel and gasoline. Similarly, algal oil would serve as a replacement for palm oil, which is the most widely consumed vegetable oil worldwide, and is generally produced irresponsibly, threatening rainforests and their ecosystems. An important aspect for developing alternative fuels and products is feasibility modeling, which allows for investigation of economic and environmental impact. This type of modeling work is based on a foundational mass and energy engineering model that is ultimately used to find a final minimum fuel (or other product) selling price, as well as for an accounting of environmental impact. The modeling work reviewed here simulates several scenarios for producing drop-in biofuel and pure algal oil in different quantities and via varying processes, giving a comprehensive overview of both financial opportunity and environmental impact.
33
Hearing and Seeing Emotion: A Magnetoencephalography
Study
KATIE BECKER
DEPARTMENT:
PSYCHOLOGY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Emotion is vital to communication as it instantaneously connects us through subtle changes in facial movements and vocal expressions, with perception occurring via the simultaneous integration of affective vocal and facial information. These expressions activate a constellation of brain areas known to be sensitive to emotional facial expressions, which are distinct from those devoted to prosody recognition. While much is known about the independent contributions of these channels to emotion perception, less research has focused on multimodal affect perception. The current study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to quantify the neural underpinnings of this dynamic process. MEG is similar to electroencephalography, but it measures the minute magnetic fields emanating from the scalp. Videos of happy and angry faces saying the vowel a in a happy or angry tone were used to examine how vocal and facial information is combined in the brain. Subjects were instructed to indicate if the emotion they perceived was happy or not happy via button press. Responses were analyzed for reaction times and frequency of responses. Brain responses for the angry conditions were primarily lateralized to anterior areas of the right hemisphere, with angry faces and angry voices exhibiting greater activity than angry faces paired with a happy voice. Happy face stimuli exhibited bilateral activity in language related areas associated with prosocial behavior. These data may indicate that the multimodal perception of emotion is complex and represented via a constellation of cortical areas.
34
Assessing a Novel Therapeutic on Drug-Seeking Behavior in
Mice
NIKOLAS BERGUM
DEPARTMENT:
UNIVERSITY WIDE - MOLC, CELLULR, & INTGR NEURSCI
COLLEGE:
INTRA-UNIVERSITY
Opioid drugs exert their rewarding properties by acting at the mu opioid receptor (MOR) and mice lacking the MOR fail to exhibit conditioned place preference (CPP), a well-established assay of drug seeking behavior. Despite the known roles for the MOR, the possibility of
targeting MORs to therapeutically interfere with opioid use has not been heavily explored. Here, we set out to test the hypothesis that inhibiting the expression of MORs will reduce the acquisition of drug-seeking behavior and lessen reinstatement of drug seeking after abstinence. To test this hypothesis, we first established CPP for morphine in mice. CPP is performed in a cage with two chambers that have different contextual cues and a removable divider between them. After determining that the mice to did not naturally have a preference for either side, mice received daily injections of either saline or morphine and were selectively placed in one side of the divided cage for 30 minutes. This went on for 10 days and then mice were placed in the cage with the divider removed. In general, mice spend about 20% more time in the morphine-paired environment following conditioning. Subsequent cohorts of mice will be injected with an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to decrease MOR expression or a control oligonucleotide. If the hypothesis is correct, ASO-injected mice will fail to acquire preference for the morphine-paired context. Our studies may indicate the utility in using ASO-mediated knock down of MORs as a potential therapeutic for opioid use disorder in people.
35
Defining TPC2's Role in Melanosome Homeostasis and
Trafficking
WYATT BEYERS
DEPARTMENT:
BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOL
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Melanosomes are lysosome related organelles in melanocytes that are responsible for melanin synthesis in the eyes, hair and skin. Enzymes directly involved in melanin synthesis are sensitive to luminal pH, which is regulated by various ion channels, Na+/H+ exchangers, and V-type ATPases at the melanosome membrane. We previously reported that Two Pore Channel Two (TPC2), a cation channel, localizes to melanosomes and plays a major role in maintaining their pH and size. Interestingly, the polymorphisms M484L and G734E are highly associated with the shift from brown to blonde hair. The M484L polymorphism is thought to directly influence the conformation of the TPC2 pore. TPC2 residue 734, on the other hand, resides in the cytosolic domain and it is unclear how it could regulate TPC2 function. Here, we explore whether TPC2 polymorphisms differentially regulate melanosome size, pH, and calcium conductivity utilizing fluorescent probes in live cell confocal fluorescence microscopy and find that the C terminal domain regulates TPC2 function. We hypothesize that the cytosolic C terminus of TPC2 interacts with another protein or complex that is responsible for the variations in melanosome size and pH that we have observed. We used BioID2 proximity labeling to identify proteins that interact with TPC2 in live melanocytes and performed functional assays to determine which candidates regulate pigmentation. We are testing their interactions with TPC2 and designing assays that will test whether they are involved in melanosome biogenesis, homeostasis, or melanosome transfer to keratinocytes.
36
Study of Bacterial Factors Activating Colorimetric Transitions
in Polydiacetylene Nanofiber
ABHISHEK BHATTACHARJEE
DEPARTMENT:
DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING
COLLEGE:
HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
The bacterial infection is an enormous problem for human health and a major cause of death around the world. Rapid identification and monitoring of bacterial infection in the wound are not possible with conventional wound dressings. A conjugated polymer- polydiacetylene (PDA) - changes color from blue to red when bacteria are detected making it a potential material to be used in conventional wound dressing for detecting bacterial infection. As bacteria is a complex organism, it is necessary to understand how bacteria induces the color change in PDA for producing a prototype of smart wound dressing capable of identifying bacterial infection rapidly. Although conformational changes in the conjugated backbone of the PDA polymer have been reported, the factors in a bacterial culture responsible for the color change in PDA has not been intensively studied. Therefore, in this research, different factors in a bacterial culture will be investigated and the responsible factor for color change will be identified. This research will be helpful to understand how bacteria induce a color change in PDA that can pave the way to prepare smart wound dressing which can be useful for millions of wound patients to detect infection rapidly without expensive pathological tests.
37
HOMEChem: A Spatial Odyssey
ERIN BOEDICKER
DEPARTMENT:
CHEMISTRY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Globally, air pollution accounts for approximately 6.5 million deaths every year. A large fraction of these deaths can be attributed to indoor air quality, were people typically spend much of their time. Understanding the indoor dynamics that impact these aerosols is crucial in order to assess overall human exposure. This work aims to further characterize aerosol emissions from cooking, investigate the spatial and temporal gradients caused by the mechanisms of aerosol transport indoors, and determine the major loss mechanisms for particles indoors. In order to probe these different elements of indoor aerosol sources a variety of cooking experiments were conducted during the House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry (HOMEChem) campaign. The emissions from these experiments were measured using size resolved optical instruments at four points throughout the house simultaneously. During background periods, aerosol concentration indoors was 50 ± 10% lower than the observed outdoor concentration, however, during cooking events the concentration indoors was measured to be up to 180 ± 20% higher than outdoors. Most of the particles emitted during these events were less than 100 nm in diameter. After emission, the particles took approximately 0.7 ± 0.1 minutes to reach the living room, with a 50% decrease in concentration, and they took 2.4 ± 0.9 minutes to reach the bedroom, with an 80% reduction in concentration. Deposition was found to be the dominate loss process in the rooms with loss rates ranging from 0.25 to 1.25 h-1 and deposition velocities ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 m/h.
38
Shear Wave Splitting Across the Mackenzie Mountains,
Canada
ANDREW BOLTON
DEPARTMENT:
GEOSCIENCES
COLLEGE:
WARNER COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
The Mackenzie Mountains (MM) of northwest Canada are an actively uplifting, seismogenic salient of the northern Canadian Cordillera that lie about 800 km NE of the plate boundary. We present new shear wave splitting measurements for the region featuring results from the recent NSF-funded Mackenzie Mountain Earthscope Project seismometer deployment, a linear array which transects the MM and the Northern Canadian Cordillera to characterize upper mantle anisotropy in this region. These measurements can provide constraints on fossilized strain in the lithosphere and/or the directionality and degree of lateral asthenospheric flow. Our splitting measurements used the newly developed Whittle Likelihood Estimation Method (Corbalan et al., in review). This is a robust method that better characterizes the effects of pre-event noise on parameter uncertainties. We note a gradual rotation in anisotropy across the Canadian Cordillera, with stations nearest to the craton yielding fast axis orientations that are subparallel to North America absolute plate motion of (~NE-SW). Moving SW from craton, across the MM, and towards the plate boundary, fast-axis orientations gradually rotate to become subparallel to the strike of the Denali and Tintina faults (NW-SE). This, along with recent body wave tomography results, suggests that these large offset fault zones are associated with narrow lithosphere-scale shear zones. Further to the SW, shear wave splitting is dominated by the effects of subduction under the Gulf of Alaska, which divert asthenosphere flow about the slab. (Hanna and Long, 2012; Wang and Becker, 2019).
39
Spatiotemporal Variations of Liquid Water Content in a
Continental Snowpack
RANDALL BONNELL
DEPARTMENT:
GEOSCIENCES
COLLEGE:
WARNER COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Seasonal snow provides water resources for an estimated 1.2 billion people, yet there are no current satellite remote sensing methods capable of measuring snow water equivalent (SWE) on global scales. The planned 2021 launch of the NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite mission includes a L-band (1-2 GHz) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument, a promising approach for measuring SWE at high spatial resolution in complex topography. However, key methodological details remain unresolved, particularly in wet snow conditions. We use 1 GHz ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to study the spatiotemporal variability and influence of terrain and vegetation on liquid water content (LWC) in a continental seasonal snowpack. We collected weekly to biweekly GPR surveys from April to June 2019 at Cameron Pass, CO, a high-elevation site (>3500 m). Transects (~1 km distance) contained 0-70% canopy cover on south, flat, and north facing aspects and were surveyed three times per survey date with ~2 hours separating each survey. GPS locations of GPR traces were post-processed (0.5-2 m accuracy) to ensure high quality comparisons between repeated surveys. We derive radar velocities from GPR travel times and coincident snow depth measurements from snow probes and repeat terrestrial LiDAR scans. Radar velocities are used to invert for LWC, and subsequently compared to snow pit-observed LWC observations. We evaluate the impact of the observed spatial heterogeneity of LWC along our study transects in the context of the
upcoming NISAR satellite mission.
40
Clonable Metal Nanoparticle Tags: In Situ Protein Labeling
and Tracking
KANDA BORGOGNONI
DEPARTMENT:
CHEMISTRY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
Biological microscopic studies, once revolutionized by the discovery of encodable fluorophores such as Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), engender foundational evidence for cellular processes via in situ protein labeling and tracking by fluorescence. As fluorescence microscopy is inherently hindered by the diffraction limit of light, electron microscopy unveils details of cellular ultrastructure with atomic level resolution. The primary barrier preventing biological electron microscopy from overtaking fluorescence microscopy as the main imaging technique is creating target specific contrast. While methods have been developed to generate more specific contrast agents, none have achieved the specificity of an encodable tag. Our lab initiated the development of encodable contrast agents for electron microscopy by isolating a glutathione-like metalloid reductase from a selenophilic plant capable of reducing selenium precursors into nanoparticles. After confirming the portability of the enzyme through maintenance of its activity in vitro and in vivo, modification of the wild type further enhanced its performance as a clonable selenium nanoparticle (cSeNP) tag. We then used the cSeNP tag in a proof of concept study that involved tracking filamenting protein FtsZ, our model system, in vivo using electron microscopy and elemental mapping. Once we fused the cSeNP to FtsZ, initial results closely matched previous fluorescence microscopy studies of GFP-fused FtsZ in vivo. Ongoing work not only includes collaborating with experts in the field of 3D biological electron microscopy to reveal punctate nanoparticles decorating filaments, but also expanding our clonable nanoparticle toolbox through the discovery of other metal reducing enzymes.
41
Synaptotagmin: If It's a Switch, How do We Flip It?
MATT BOWERS
DEPARTMENT:
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
COLLEGE:
VETERINARY MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
Proper nervous system function relies on efficient communication between neurons via synaptic transmission. The Ca2+-binding protein synaptotagmin is critical for this synaptic transmission. Synaptotagmin has been shown to act as a Ca2+-dependent switch that coordinates the synchronous release of neurotransmitter at the synapse. There are several hypotheses for the mechanism underlying this switching. One hypothesis is that Ca2+ changes the electrostatic charge of synaptotagmin and allows it to interact with membranes. This electrostatic switching activity has never been investigated independent of Ca2+ binding. Here we use single point mutations to alter the electrostatic charge of synaptotagmin to determine if synaptotagmin can act as an electrostatic switch in the absence of Ca2+ binding. This sheds valuable light on the mechanistic underpinnings of the function of this critical
protein.
42
Towards the Total Synthesis of Versiquinazoline B
MAGGI BRAASCH-TURI
DEPARTMENT:
CHEMISTRY
COLLEGE:
NATURAL SCIENCES
In the constant battle against cancer, treatments have increasingly become more selective. Cancer cells overexpress a wide range of cellular machinery to help them grow and divide rapidly. Targeted drug therapy takes advantage of these overexpressed proteins and finds drugs to inhibit them. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme involved in cell proliferation, has been found to be overexpressed in aggressive cancers such as breast, thyroid, and prostate. Inhibition of this enzyme leads to apoptosis, making it a desirable candidate for drug development. Versiquinazoline B (VQB) is a natural product isolated from Aspergillus versicolor LZD-14-1 in very low amounts. When analyzed for inhibitory effects against TrxR, an IC50 value of 12±2 M was determined. Overall, this IC50 value is relatively high, making it a poor drug candidate alone. It does, however, open the door for the development analogs. These analogs could be used to probe the activity of TrxR and create a highly selective and potent drug. Combined with the low bioavailability of this molecule and desirable biological activity, VQB is an excellent candidate for total synthesis. Starting with a retrosynthetic analysis of the molecule, key intermediates were identified for synthesis. A forward route was then proposed to build the molecule from commercially available starting materials. Currently, this project is in the early stages of the total synthesis, having faced several interesting synthetic barriers. With an established, high yielding synthetic route, Versiquinazoline B could be made in appreciable amounts and allow access to numerous analogs for selective drug development.
43
Genetic Parameter Estimates for Efficiency and Pulmonary
Arterial Pressure
EMMA BRIGGS
DEPARTMENT:
ANIMAL SCIENCES
COLLEGE:
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Feed intake data was collected on 533 Black Angus steers segregated over a total of a five-year test period. With each five-year representing a different group of animals with the average yearly sample size being 110 observations. Steers entered a feed intake test, data was then used to estimate the phenotypic and genetic parameters related to feed efficiency traits and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). Steers were segregated into pens upon arrival and feed efficiency traits were measured on an individual basis with the use of a Growsafe monitoring system. Test length varied per year with an average test length of 67 ± 9.2 d. Average daily gain (ADG) was more heritable (0.35 ± 0.1) than average dry matter intake (ADMI; 0.16 ± 0.09). A moderate genetic correlation (0.40 ± 0.25) between PAP and ADMI was calculated. Genetic correlations between PAP and ADG were less strong (0.04 ± 0.18).
